JEYPORE: The Andhra Pradesh government has reportedly planned to shower more sops on Kotia villages to woo residents of the disputed panchayat ahead of the rural elections in Odisha scheduled next year. Sources said the AP administration has planned to distribute self-help group (SHG), housing and farm loans besides pension and ration cards among the villagers of Pottangi’s Kotia panchayat and a team of officials has been tasked to carry out the job in next couple of days.
Accordingly, representatives of AP in different villages have started identifying beneficiaries to be included in the schemes of the neighbouring State. The team of officials is coordinating with the representatives to provide the benefits as soon as possible, well ahead of the panchayat election in Odisha.
On the other hand, various welfare programmes and development works of Koraput administration are underway in Kotia villages. A few days back, Koraput Collector Md Abdaal Akhtar, project director of DRDA Hemakant Say and senior officials visited several villages of the panchayat and reviewed the ongoing development works. The team also interacted with locals.
Even, Koraput district administration several times had clarified that the Kotia villages are under the control of Koraput administration and the people are with the Pottangi block by taking all government schemes. Sources said though the Koraput administration and public representatives of the district have put up stiff resistance to AP’s Kotia overtures, officials of the neighbouring State continue to clandestinely implement their schemes in all 21 villages of the panchayat.